Wake Forest residents Ellen Turco and Pat Schell have been named the 2024 recipients of the Robert E. Stipe Award for Professional Preservation Excellence. Wake Forest Senior Planner for Historic Preservation Michelle Michael earned the award in 2023.
Presented annually by Preservation North Carolina, the honor is the highest award presented to North Carolina professionals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to historic preservation above and beyond their job responsibilities. Established in 1983 to honor the contributions of Robert E. Stipe, an educator in the field of historic preservation and a mentor to a generation of preservation professionals, the award will be presented to Turco and Schell during Preservation North Carolina’s annual conference in Rocky Mount on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
As historic preservation specialists, the married couple, Schell, a restoration contractor, and Turco, an architectural historian, have completed several projects across the state, while also sharing their expertise with the community.
Turco has served on the Wake Forest Historic Preservation Commission for six years (five as chair), the Design Standards Committee (2019-2021), and Historic Home Tour Committee (2014-2020). Schell served on the Ailey Young House Rehabilitation Steering Committee (2015-2021) and as volunteer consultant for the recently completed Ailey Young House Rehabilitation.
“Both are frequently called upon by private citizens and organizations to offer their expertise and time,” said Michael. “Ellen Turco and Pat Schell are both examples professional preservationists who go above and beyond to live the preservation ethic in their everyday lives. They have both independently and together, paved a preservation path for future generations to follow.”
Also on October 16, the Town of Wake Forest will receive a Carraway Award of Preservation Merit for the Rehabilitation of the Ailey Young House. Situated on North White Street, north of Spring Street and south of the Town cemetery, the Ailey Young House will anchor a park project the Town is planning for the Northeast Community.
The Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit are named in honor of the late Dr. Gertrude S. Carraway, a noted New Bern historian and preservationist. Presented since 1974, the Carraway Awards give deserved recognition to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to historic preservation through extraordinary leadership, research, philanthropy, promotion, and/or significant participation in preservation.
For more information, email Michelle Michael at mmichael@wakeforestnc.gov.
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One Response
A much-deserved honor!